Refusal
by Leaffrost101
Summary: Flint is a lone wolf with half of one paw missing. He lives with his mate Bracken and they have lived and hunted peacefully together until the Pack of the Western Scree, from the MacDuncan clan, finds them after they bring down a caribou and offer Flint a place in their pack. One-shot.


**I read Wolves of the Beyond and have wondered why all the ****_malcadhs _****decided to join the packs when they know that they are going to be abused, be the last one to eat, and be the lowest ranking member of the pack. So I decided to create this little one-shot and explain what I think would happen if one of them refused.**

A large male red wolf was hobbling along a trail with his nose to the ground while a small brown she-wolf walked next to him. The small wolf glanced at one of the red wolfs paws and again noticed that he had half a paw missing.

"Are you sure you're up to this hunt Flint?" The small wolf asked the red wolf.

"Why do you ask that Bracken?" Flint asked, raising his head from the ground.

"Your paw could slow you down. With you not having a full paw you might not be able to keep up with the caribou."

Flint stopped in his tracks and growled at Bracken.

"That wont stop me. I don't care what you say. I am going to bring a caribou down with or without you."

Bracken only shook her head in response and they continued down the trail and came on top of hill. They looked down to see a herd of caribou walking along the bottom with their tendons clicking. Flint and Bracken licked their jaws in anticipation. They both ran down the slope with Flint lagging behind Bracken the whole way. The caribou ran away in panic with the wolves snapping at their legs. Flint jumped on the back of a sick calf and knocked it to the ground as Bracken bit the neck of the calf and pierced the life-pumping artery that would end the calf's life. The calf died and Flint with Bracken tore into the calf's stomach. Flint looked up when he heard a growl. There was at least five wolves and the one in the lead was growling at the wolves eating the dead calf.

"What are you doing in MacDuncan territory?" The lead wolf asked Flint and Bracken.

Flint snarled at the clan wolves and peeled his lips back to show his blood stained teeth.

"What does it look like?" Flint asked, still snarled at the wolves and took a step towards them. "We're hunting."

A she-wolf glanced at Flint and saw his half-paw. She looked at the lead wolf.

"Lord Bhreac." She said and looked at Flint. "He's a _malcadh._"

This got Bhreac's attention and he took a closer look at the still snarling Flint. Bhreac narrowed his green eyes.

"It appears so." Bhreac said. He took a step towards Flint. "Do you know what a _malcadh _is?"

Flint stopped snarling and looked at Bhreac, confused.

"I do not. What is it?" Flint asked

"A _malcadh _is a wolf that has something wrong with it at birth. They are taken away from the pack by the Obea and are left on a _tummfraw _to die." Bhreac explained.

"What does that have to do with my friend?" Bracken asked, narrowing her green eyes at the clan wolves.

"Let me finish explaining. If the _malcadh _somehow survives, they are permitted back into the pack as a gnaw wolf. The lowest rank in the pack."

Flint remained silent and all the wolves stared at him and the clan wolves were shocked, while Bracken was overjoyed by Flint's answer.

"No."

"I'm sorry but," Bhreac said, staggering back. "could you please repeat your answer?"

"I said no!" Flint yelled while barring his teeth at Bhreac. "Why would I want to join the pack that took me away from my mother and left me to die?! I did what it seems you wouldn't expect! I lived and you want me to become the lowest ranking wolf in the pack!"

Bhreac recovered from his shock and snarled at Flint.

"Don't talk to me like that!"

"I can talk to you however I like! I'm not apart of your pack so you don't have any authority over me!" Flint snarled back, turning away from Bhreac and walking over to Bracken.

"You can't walk away from me!"

"I can! I won't ever join you! Go away and leave us alone!"

With that said, Flint along with his mate walked away from the wolves and soon disappeared from view.

**Authors Note:**

**Now you see what I think would happen. I don't have anything else to say except I would like for you all to review.**


End file.
